- The problem
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2001-2002 Acura 3.2CL, 2000-2003 Acura 3.5RL, 2000-2001 Acura 3.2TL, Honda CR-V and Honda Odyssey, 2001-2002 Acura MDX and 2000 Accord Coupe, Accord Sedan, Civic Coupe, and Civic Sedan vehicles. These vehicles may have received a replacement driver frontal air bag module as part of a vehicle repair. Due to a manufacturing issue, the replacement NADI inflator may absorb moisture, causing the inflator to rupture or the air bag cushion to underinflate.
- The risk
- In the event of a crash necessitating air bag deployment, an inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants. An underinflated air bag cushion may not properly protect the occupant. These scenarios increase the risk of serious injury or death.
- The fix
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the air bags in the vehicles, replacing the driver frontal air bag inflator with an inflator of a different design, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2020. Owners may contact American Honda's Customer Support & Campaign Center at 1-888-234-2138.
Vehicle safety record
2001 Acura RL Problems, complaints & recalls
Owners have filed 25 complaints about the 2001 Acura RL with NHTSA, most often about the transmission & drivetrain (8) and the airbags (6). Those complaints describe 1 crash and 1 fire. It is covered by 2 recalls, the latest in January 2020 for the inflator module. For comparison, the 2000 has 70 and the 2002 has 59.
NHTSA data checked
CAbout as many problems as a typical RL year, for its age
#148 most complained-about 2001 vehicle
- Complaints
- 25
- Recalls
- 2
- Crashes
- 1
- Fires
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Deaths
- 0
Most common 2001 Acura RL problems
Share of all 25 complaints. One complaint can name more than one area. Tap an area for its complaints and recalls.
2001 Acura RL recalls 2
Recall repairs are free. Your dealer fixes them whether or not you bought the car there - check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if yours is done. What to do
- The problem
- On certain passenger vehicles, during the manufacturing process, oil was applied to the brake pedal assembly to prevent rust. This oil can leak into the brake stop switch and contaminate the electrical contacts.
- The risk
- Eventually, the brake lights will not illuminate when the brakes are applied, which increases the risk of a crash.
- The fix
- Dealers will clean any excess oil from the pedal assembly and replace the stop switch. Owner notification began may 16, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact acura at 1-800-382-2238.
What owners say
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25 complaints about the 2001 Acura RL
Newest first, as filed with NHTSA by owners.
I received a safety recall letter in the mail in march 2020. When I called the acura dealer in charlotte they told me that the part would be there in july, called in july they said august called in september and they said that the part is still not there
I called acura to see if the type air bag inflator in my car used ammonium nitrate. My car is not on the recalled list but given the nature of the problem I was going to replace, at least the driver's side, if the inflator was using the unstable propellant. Acura would not provide me any information. I called nhtsa and they told me to provide information to this site to see if I can get the information to protect myself and family regardless of the corporate decision.
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura rl. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, smoke started to emit from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the steering pump was leaking onto the catalytic converter or the engine. As a result, the power steering pump and hose needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 140,000 and the current mileage was 145,000. Updated 09/06/2012 *js
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 acura 3.5Rl. The contact stated that the rear driver side tire became flat. The contact replaced the tire with the spare and within a couple of miles, the abs warning light was illuminated. The contact then experienced a loss of braking power and the rear wheels were spinning abnormally at different rates. The contact then shut off the vehicle and when restarting, the vehicle resumed normal braking operation. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The failure and current mileage was 110,000.
2001 Acura mdx transmission failure, needs another transmission, 1st transmission replaced at 63k, needed a 2nd transmission at 125k, now a 3rd transmission at 175k. *Tr
The srs (supplemental restraint system) light came on and I took the vehicle to the dealer. They found an error code 15-1 and they reset the light but said they did not find anything wrong with the srs system. I found another complaint (#10251604) and have the same question why this is not regarded as a safety concern. *Tr
2001 Acura rl. Srs light is on. Dealer checked and found problem with opds unit and sensor and replaced. After replacement, re-initialized the system but the srs stays on. Now, turn out that the srs control unit is bad. Dealer said it will cost approx $2000 to replace the srs control unit. Why srs control unit is not considered a safety item? *Tr
2001 Acura 3.5 Rl srs light elluminates opds sensor or module are replaceable under warranty but opds brain or unit is not covered and this is the part that is causing the srs light to elluminate. Dealer says it is faulty and can not be replaced free. So now I have no air bags in the event of an accident.
The differential leaked oil, which caused the vehicle to make a noise.*Jb
THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS REPLACED 4 TIMES.*JB
Michilin, radial, p21550r1793v dotb98cttx1300 replacements. Tire is blowing out around sidewall every 6000 miles.*Ak
When vehicle was placed in reverse and foot was on brake vehicle accelerated. *Ak
The truck was stopped at a light. Suddenly, the vehicle began to jerk forward. We took off from the light and the truck began to violently jerk as if someone was jamming on the brake. The engine light and 4 wheel drive light came on. The truck became undriveable and had to be towed to the tischer dealer. The truck was repaired and we were told it was the air intake valve. I'm issuing this complaint because obviously a brand new luxury truck should not experience this type of problem so soon in its life. It is also, obviously, a defect in the part. The defect may extend beyond just our truck so we are alerting nhtsa to track. *Ak
My 2001 acura mdx has a defective airbag (srs) system. Three times in the last 12 months, it has disabled itself when driving on the freeway in heavy rain. It has failed in exactly the same very dangerous conditions each time. It stays disabled until I can get an appointment with an acura dealer to reactivate it, which is a real hassle. The dealer says they have no way to fix it. They told me that acura is aware of the problem and can't figure out what to do, and are refusing to replace the apparent defect unit. The dealer's solution to this serious safety defect: "change your driving habits". This solution is very unacceptable. *Ak
It took over a month to have car repaired, resean being - over 50 transmissions were on back order. That gose to show that there are many more who are having this same problem. Thank-you for your time and help...Zia yusuf
Transmission failures this may be a safety hazard. If the transmission failure occurs while driving the vehicle, the vehicle sometimes slows down abruptly, especially when the driver is accelerating. For example, when trying to pass someone, the transmission will suddenly leave the engine revving high, but the car won t actually accelerate and actually slows down, sometimes very noticeably. This can cause someone to rear end you if they re coming up from behind you not expecting you to suddenly come to halt for no apparent reason.
Transmission grinds when upshifting from first gear into second gear.*Ak
Transmission on this model failing across the nation, acura not acknowledging. *Ak
Front rotors warp due to metallic brake pads under normal use resulting in increase of normal braking distance *ak
Fuel tank overflows on gas filup - even after gas shuts off, gas comes up and out of tank at the filler hole spilling onto side of car and rear wheel and real wheel brake rotor. Happened twice on 4 fillups (so far), without topping off, using different gas stations/pumps.*Ak
At freeway speeds I can hear a loud wind noise at the top of the driver's door. I have taken the car back to the dealership on several occasions but nothing has been done to correct the problem. *Ak
While driving at slower speeds, vehicle stalled. Transimmison has been having problems accelerating & decelerating. *Ak
Design flaw: driver side mirror can not be adjusted outward far enough to eliminate dangerous blind spot if driver seat in rearmost position. *Ak
Driver's side seat belt fails to retract after being in use. Would be on floor after being unbuckled. 2Nd time put in new retractor, 1st time an adjustor.*Ak
Horn assembly location is in a bad place for blowing the horn. Dealership is aware of problem. Deale r told consumer that it was the design for that particular vehicle.*Ak
Acura RL: every year compared
| Year | Complaints | Recalls | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 125 | 11 | F |
| 2004 | 11 | 0 | B |
| 2003 | 14 | 1 | C |
| 2002 | 59 | 2 | D |
| 2001 | 25 | 2 | C |
| 2000 | 70 | 4 | F |
| 1999 | 38 | 2 | D |
| 1998 | 11 | 3 | B |
| 1997 | 19 | 2 | C |
2001 Acura RL vs rivals
| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 Acura RL | 25 | 2 | C | |
| 2001 Acura CL | 270 | 3 | F | Compare |
| 2001 Acura MDX | 224 | 4 | C | Compare |
| 2001 Acura TL | 162 | 3 | C | Compare |
| 2001 Acura Integra | 6 | 5 | A | Compare |
| 2001 Acura RSX | 2 | 0 | A | Compare |
| 2001 Acura NSX | 1 | 0 | A | Compare |
More sales usually means more complaints, so compare similar vehicles of the same year. The grade compares each vehicle with its own model's other years.
Questions about the 2001 Acura RL
Does the 2001 Acura RL have any recalls?
Yes - NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2001 Acura RL: inflator module (January 2020); switch (May 2002). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours has been fixed.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Acura RL?
By the complaints owners filed with NHTSA, the most common problem areas are the transmission & drivetrain (8), airbags (6), brakes (2).
How many complaints has the 2001 Acura RL had?
25 complaints have been filed with NHTSA, the first on November 20, 2000 and the latest on October 9, 2020. Of these, 1 describe a crash and 1 a fire, and together they report 0 injuries and 0 deaths.
Is the 2001 Acura RL a reliable vehicle?
Its Safety Index is 47 out of 100 (grade C: about as many problems as a typical Acura RL year, for its age). The index weighs complaints, crashes, fires, injuries, deaths and recalls against how long the vehicle has been on the road, compared with the same model's other years. It is not a measure of every repair - read the complaints and owner experiences, and have any used vehicle inspected before you buy.
Which Acura RL years have the most complaints?
2005 (125), 2000 (70), 2002 (59). See every Acura RL year compared.
What should I do if my 2001 Acura RL has a problem?
If it is a safety problem, stop driving it if it is unsafe and contact your dealer. Report it to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem - enough reports start investigations and recalls - and share your experience here so other owners know what to look for.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and recalls, checked . Complaints are owners' own reports and are not verified. How we use the data